Victor The Winner will leave Japan with his head held high after producing a brave effort to finish third in Sunday’s Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo racecourse.

The Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained speedster was unable to hold onto his early lead on the rain-softened ground but kept on willingly to become the first overseas raider to place in a Japan Racing Association Group One since another Hong Kong raider, Werther, in 2018.

While Derek Leung Ka-chun, who was riding in Japan for the first time, could not capture consecutive Group Ones aboard the son of Toronado, the 35-year-old was pleased with the gutsy performance.

“I’m so proud of him, he’s run a very good race,” Leung said. “He jumped so quick and he was a bit fresher than when he was in Hong Kong, so when he got to the lead he was a bit excited.

“I asked him to go at the 350m and it was uphill, so he struggled a little bit and kept on at one pace. The track was soft so it wasn’t 100 per cent perfect for him, but he ran very well.”

Victor The Winner jumped smartly from gate 10 and assumed his customary position in front, taking the 18-runner field along until the 400m marker.

Urged to kick clear by Leung soon after, the five-year-old failed to find the change of gear witnessed in January’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) victory.

While there was a sense of inevitability about Victor The Winner weakening in the closing stages, the speedster rallied in the final strides to finish behind Mad Cool, who narrowly denied Namura Clair in a thrilling finish.

Leung appreciated the bold effort from his willing partner amid the cauldron of noise reverberating from the 28,000-strong Chukyo grandstand.

“The noise at the start, wow,” Leung said. “I just let him be where he wanted to be and he fought a little bit with me because it’s his first time here.

“It was his first time going left-handed, a bit uphill and on a soft track. It was a big challenge for him but he performed very well.”

Despite falling just short in his bid to emulate Zac Purton’s triumph aboard Aerovelocity in the same contest nine years ago, Leung believes Victor The Winner can deliver him more Group One success to go with their Centenary Sprint Cup victory.

“I would love to win more Group Ones and I think Victor The Winner is still improving, so I think he can go and win another Group One. Plus, I hope I can represent Hong Kong overseas again,” said the jockey.

It was third time lucky at Group One level for the winner, Mad Cool, who failed to land a blow in December’s Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on the way to finishing nearly three lengths behind Victor The Winner in eighth.

The five-year-old’s trainer, Manabu Ikezoe, said Mad Cool may line up in next month’s Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) for a rematch with Victor The Winner.

“There’s a possibility,” Ikezoe said. “The track is different in Hong Kong and I’m not sure it suited him in December, but we’ll see how he comes out of this race and decide whether we go back again.”